1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electrical connector attachable to a rigid printed circuit board.
2. Disclosure Information
In the field of electronics, it is well known to attach plug-in modules, flex circuit wire harnesses, daughter boards, and other surface mount electrical elements 60 to an edge or surface of a rigid printed circuit board (PCB) 50, as illustrated in FIG. 1. This is accomplished by providing either J-lead or gull-wing lead terminations on the electrical elements, surface mounting the elements by registering their terminations on respective solder pasted circuit trace mounting pads, and reflowing the solder paste to form solid solder joints connecting each termination with its respective mounting pad/circuit trace.
However, electrical elements of the type illustrated in FIG. 1 may be subject to repeated engagement and disengagement with wire harnesses, plugs, and other associated members. Additionally, they may also be subject to repeated deflection, flexure, tugging, and other mechanical perturbations transmitted or caused by such associated members. Furthermore, because these elements (and the associated members attached thereto) are typically much larger and more massive than their associated solder joints, vibration and other mechanical disturbances tend to be more damaging to the element's associated solder joints, thus precluding the use of such electrical elements in some applications.
It would be desirable to provide a means for attaching these electrical elements to rigid printed circuit boards without the drawbacks mentioned above.